New Hope Baptist Church break-in suspect arrested Monday morning/UPDATED

UPDATE 2-20-17 6:30 PM:

Chandler Rodgers, age 19, was charged with the break in at New Hope Baptists Church. Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said Rodgers is not a newcomer to the criminal justice system, and had been charged previously with other crimes. His experience did not help him much, as he left his personal motor vehicle at the scene of his crime when he fled on foot from the New Hope Baptist Church.

An unrelated incident added interest and confusion to the church robbery. Myrtle area residents reported seeing an unidentified man running across their lawns at about the same time law enforcement personnel were tracking Rodgers’ flight from the church. As it turns out, the second runner was Christopher Jones, who was fleeing the area after a disagreement with his wife. When his wife threatened to call the police, Jones fled because he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest. He has criminal charges pending in both Union and Marshall Counties.

Jones was arrested by sheriff deputies late Monday morning. He is now being held in the Union County jail on an alias capias warrant, a warrant issued by a circuit judge because Jones failed to appear in court on the other charges.

Original article:

New Albany, MS– A man suspected of having burglarized the New Hope Baptist Church early Monday, morning, Feb. 20, is in custody.

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said a passing motorist became suspicious when a motor vehicle was observed parked at the church building on County Road 51 at approximately 5:10 am. The motorist called a church member who went to the church and observed a man exiting through a broken window.

A MS state trooper and a sheriff’s department officer at the church robbery scene.

The man fled on foot to a nearby tree line, but dropped a computer and other items believed to have been taken from the church building.

Sheriff’s officers arrived at the church and discovered that the suspect had apparently attempted to break into two different buildings on the church campus, located south of Myrtle.